Daily Grind

i show up for work
every day i'm on time
my co-workers leave me 
alone and behind -
to clean up their messes
so willfully made
mountains of paperwork
overtime unpaid
i go through my day
without any complaint
plodding and grinding
a modern day saint
Striving to improve
my industry at large
working harder than ever
to someday be in charge
with education unmatched
ambition displayed on my wall
my achievements remain 
disproportionately small 
all of my diligence
my focus and drive
i can't get ahead
no matter how hard i strive
somedays i think 
its time to give in
but my inner voice reminds me
i'm in this to win.

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

wow, can i relate to this...and so would all of my colleagues...
the degrees on the wall, the diligence in teaching..
being term faculty...we are in it to win it...

but unfortunately can't afford the hammer and nails to hang the diploma up on the wall...

j.

[James]

Glad you liked this Jacob. I'm full-time staff and an adjunct History Instructor at a community college. Sometimes it's frustrating, but most of the time I feel blessed.

[barleygirl]

What's striking about your description of the grindstone (& pardon my making the gender distinction), there's very little emphasis on being the breadwinner, which appears to be the main motivation for most guys. But there's still a fair amount of emphasis on success, which is also a more common measuring stick for men, than it is for women. I can feel the tension between all the reasons you're in it & simultaneously sick of it. I worked my a*s off for 40+ years simply for the joyful sense of accomplishment, which is not based on somebody else's measurements, so I consider myself lucky in enjoying my career most of the time, even tho I wasn't exactly following my passion.